Psychologists tell us that, at most, 10% of our happiness comes from stuff like fast cars, big houses, initials after our names or fancy titles on our business cards.

Unfortunately, we’ve been conditioned to believe otherwise and most of us spend our lives chasing one thing after another—the bigger bank balance, the shinier bling, the higher altitude on the org chart—in our attempts to *finally* live with more happiness, peace, fulfillment and all that jazz.

Psychologists call that being stuck on a “hedonic treadmill.” Gasping and working but Never. Quite. Getting. There.

There’s a much more direct way to sustainable happiness that comes from effectively shaping our thoughts and behaviors, living with virtue and being in integrity with our highest values.

Ultimately, we need to realize that the pursuit of all that fame/fortune/power is a lot like running in place. So, let’s step off the Bling Treadmill and diligently, patiently, persistently and playfully mosey on down the path of mastery, shall we?